Street-indicators for cars.



H. WILMS.

STREET INDICATOR FOR GARS.

APPLICATION FILED IEB.28, 1911.

, 1,015,111. Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

' 4 SHEETSS1HEBT 1.

1 "a? Q 31 L\ Q .L

R; Q w

ZAP

INVENTOR mu COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH C0,, WASHINGTUN. n. Cv

H. WILMS.

STREET INDICATOR FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.28, 1911. r 1,015, 1 1 1 Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR ILMS v I f ww zg-fl 5 wlmzsszs p M H. WILMS.

STREET INDICATOR FOE CARS.

2 1 9 1 n0 1 n a J d m n e LIU a P. L 1 9 1 8 00 B B v D E L I N 0 I T Ao I L P. P. A

4 BHEETS-SHBBT 3.

M Ma kn .mw

mvzm on WITNESSES cqLuMBlA PLANOGRAPH CDvJVASI-HNGTON. n C.

H. WILMS.

STREET 1111101101101 0111.

11111011101 FILED -IEB.28, 1911.

Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

"war non W'TNESSES J/WZ JOLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO WASmNGTON, D. C

30 sponding parts throughout the several views,

40 Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross sectional view,

45 supporting a trolley wire 2 and adapted to HERMANN WILMS, OF EASTPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

STREET-INDICATOR FOR CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16,1912.

Application filed February 28, 1911. Serial No. 611,364.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMANN WILMS, a subject of the Emperor of Germany,residing at East Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStreet-Indicators for Cars, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to street indicators for cars, the indicatorbeing particularly designed for electrically operated trolley systems.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a car with a devicefor automatically displaying the names of streets, avenues and stationsprior to the car reaching such streets or stations, thereby givingpassengers suflicient time to prepare for departure from the car and,furthermore, relieving the con ductor of the car of the necessity ofcalling out the names of the streets and stations.

lVith the above and other objects in view the invention resides in anovel construction,

. combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specificallydescribed and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawings wherein like numeralsdesignate correin which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a trolleyattachment in connection with a motor. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesame. Fig. 3 is a view of one end ofthe indicator. Fig. 4 is a view ofthe opposite end thereof. Fig. 5 a

is a plan of a portion of the indicator. Fig. 6'is a front elevation ofa portion of an apron adapted to be used in the mdicator.

and Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the sametaken on the line X X of Fig. 7.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a hanger travel upon this wire is atrolley-wheel 3 revolubly supported by a trolley pole 4. The support 1is provided with a depending curved arm 5 having a curved shoe 6 adaptedto contact with the rounded surface -7 of abracket 8, secured to one ofthe arms of the trolley pole harp 9. '10 denotes'a motor casing securedto the end wall 11 of an indicator adapted to be located in the car orvehicle provided with p and the armature shaft 12.

the trolley pole 4, the indicator being located at a conspicuous placewithin the car or vehicle. The motor casing contains a motor having thearmature shaft 12 thereof provided with a wheel 13 having a notch 14 inthe periphery thereof.

15 denotes a magnet carried by the base 16 of the motor and this magnethas a binding post 17 connected by the wire 18 to the bracket 8 of atrolley pole, the wire being carried within the pole or exteriorlythereof, and to prevent the circuit through said wire interfering withthe circuitthrough the pole, the wire is insulated, also the bracket 8.A switch 18 is located at a convenient 23 to the car or vehicle framewhereby it will be grounded. The binding post 19 has an extension 24 andadapted to contact with this extension is an extension 25 of an armature26 adapted to be attracted by the mag net 15, said armaturehavingconnection 27 to a source of current supply. When the shoe 6engages the bracket 8 the magnet 15 Will be sufliciently energized toattract the lower end of the armature 26. The armature 26 is pivotallysupported by a pin 28, carried by the motor and the upper end of thearmature has a tooth 29 adapted to engage'in the notch 14 and hold thewheel 13 The tooth 29 is normally retained in the notch 14 by a flatcurved spring 30, carried by the end of the motor casing.

The indicator casing comprises a front wall 31, a rear wall 32, a bottomwall 33, a top wall 34, an end wall together with the end wall 11, saidcasing being substantially rectangular in cross section with the top andbottom walls 34 and 33 provided with longitudinal semi-cylindricalhousings 36 and 37, said housings being located adjacent to the frontand rear walls 31 and 32. The upper and lower edges of the casing at thefront and rear walls are rounded and revolubly mounted in said casing atthe upper and lower edges of the walls 31 and 32 are feed rollers 38 and39 having the spindles 40 thereof journaled in the end walls 11 and 35.The rollers 38 are adapted to revolve in the same direction and therollers 39 in same direction as the rollers 38. All of the rollersadjacent to the ends thereof are provided with equally spaced radiallydisposed pins 41 adapted to engage in the openings or perforations 42provided therefor in the longitudinal edges of an endless apron 43, saidapron consisting of flexible sections having the upper and lower edgesthereof pivotally connected together, as at 44. The sections of theapron are preferably made of very thin flexible sheet metal. The apronis of a considerable length and the greater portion of the same isstored in a folded position in the upper and lower parts of the casing.The upper folded sections of the apron are supported centrally of thecasing upon an endless belt 45 arranged upon two rollers 46 and 47, saidrollers being arranged longitudinally of the casing with the roller 47having the spindle 48 thereof protruding from the end wall 35. Theendless belt 45 has small teats or lugs 49 adapted to engage the loweredges of the folded sections of the apron 43 and inter mittently movesaid folded sections. The belt 45, at the point where the foldedsections are held, is supported by a longitudinal bar 50 extending fromthe end wall 11 to the end wall 35.

The folded sections of the apron 43 in the lower part of the indicatorcasing are intermittently moved through the medium of a belt 51 arrangedupon rollers 52 and 53 revolubly mounted in a housing 54 arrangedlongitudinally of the bottom wall 33, said bottom wall havinglongitudinal slots 55 through which the belt 51 passes to ride upon thebottom wall 33 and support the lower edges of the folded apron sections.The belt 51 has teats or lugs similar to the belt 45. The roller 53 hasa spindle 56 thereof protruding from the end wall 35.

Arranged longitudinally of the indicator casing adjacent to the rollers46 and 47 are rock shafts 57 and 58, said shafts having the outer endsthereof provided with arms 59 and 60, the arm 59 being connected to thearm 60 by coiled retractile springs 61. The purpose of these springs isto normally retain the arms 59 and 60 in engagement with cams 62 and 63mounted upon the spindles 40 and associated with the rollers 38 and 39respectively. The rock shafts 57 and 58 adjacent to the inner sides ofthe walls 11 and 35 are provided with holding members 64 and 65respectively adapted to engage the belt 45 and hold the edges of thefolded apron sections that engage said belt.

J ournaled in the end walls 11 and 35 and concentrically of the housings36 and 37 are shafts 66 and 67. These shafts at the inner sides of thewalls 11 and 35 are provided with cranks 68 connected by longitudinalrods 69, and these rods are adapted to engage the apron 43 and assist infolding and guiding the sections of the apron in the upper and lowerparts of the indicator casing.

The spindles 40 of the feed rollers 38 and 39 of the rear part of thecasing are provided with gear wheels 70 meshing with gear wheels 71mounted upon the shafts 66 and 67 at the rear part of the casing, andthese shafts are provided with sprocket wheels 72 over which passendless sprocket chains 73 and 74, the sprocket chain 73 passing overthe sprocket wheel 74 mounted upon the shafts 66 in the forward part ofthe casing. The sprocket chain 74 passes over a sprocket wheel 75mounted upon the shaft 67 in the forward part of the casing, and theshafts 66 and 67 just referred to, are provided with gear wheels 76meshing with gear. wheels 77 mounted upon the spindles 40 of the feedrollers 38 and 39 in the forward part of the casing. The spindles 40 areprovided with sprocket wheels 78 and over said sprocket wheels passes anendless sprocket chain 79, whereby the feed rollers 38 and 39 in theforward part of the indicator casing will rotate in unison. The shaft 66in the rear part of the casing is coupled or suitably connected to tliearmature shaft 12 of the motor 10.

The sprocket chain 74 passes over a sprocket wheel 80 mounted upon ashaft 81 revolubly supported by the end wall 35 of the indicator casing.The shaft 81 is provided with a gear wheel 82 meshing with a gear wheel83 mounted upon a shaft 84, journaled in the end wall 35. The hub of thegear wheel 83 has a radially disposed arm 85 adapted to engage a gearwheel 86 mounted upon the shaft 48 of the roller 47 and intermittentlymove said gear wheel. The hub of the sprocket wheel 80 is provided witha radially disposed arm 87 adapted to engage and intermittently move a.gear wheel 88 mounted upon the shaft 56 of the roller 53. Upon theendless sectional apron 43, is printed, marked or otherwise placed thenames of streets, avenues and stations, and it is in this connectionthat advertisements can also be arranged between the names of streets.In order that the apron can be observed, the front side of the casing isprovided with a window 89 normally closed by a transparent plate 90.

Operation: The trolley hangers 1 adjacent to each street, avenue orstation are provided with shoes 6, whereby the motor 10 will be placedin operation to operate the street indicator in sufficient time todisplay the name of the street or station being approached by thecar orvehicle. When the shoe 6 contacts with the bracket 8 the magnet 15attracts the armature 26 to close a circuit through the motor releasingthe wheel 13 and allowing the motor to operate and make one revolutionof the shaft 12. After one revolution has been made the motor will belocked until the bracket 8 engages the next shoe 6. When the shaft 12makes one revolution a similar movement is imparted to the shaft 66 inthe rear part of the indicator casing and the whole train of gear wheelsis placed in motion, whereby the feed rollers 38 and 39 will make onecomplete revolution. As these feed rollers are moved the apron 43 isshifted and two sections of said apron move past the window 89. As thesections of the apron are pivotally connected together, the rods 69 ofthe shafts 66 and 67 will assist said sections in folding and inproperly engaging the feed rollers. The cams 62 and 63 are adapted toshift the arms 59 and 60, whereby the holding members 64 and 65 will belowered at the ends of the belt to allow a folded section to rest uponthe belt and to leave the belt. In order that the folded sections of theapron can be successively moved the belts 45 and 51 are intermittentlymoved through the medium of the arms 85 and 87 engaging the gear wheels86 and 88 respectively.

It is thought that the operation and utility of the street indicatorwill be apparent without further description and that the manner inwhich the flexible sections of the apron fold will be understood.

The indicator in its entirety can be made of light and durable metal andof a suf Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

ficient size to clearly display the names or advertisements carried bythe outer side of the apron.

What I claim is 1. In a street car indicator, a casing having a window,feed rollers revolubly mounted in said casing, an endless flexiblesectional apron adapted to be shifted past said Window by said feedrollers and having sections thereof folded in said casing, a motorcarried by said casing and adapted to revolve said feed rollers, atrolley attach ment adapted to control the operation of said motor, andmeans including belts for moving the folded sections of said apronwithin said casing.

2. In a street indicator for cars, a casing having a window, feedrollers arranged in said casing, an endless sectional apron adapted tobe shifted by said rollers past said window and having sections thereoffolded in said casing, endless belts supporting the folded sections ofsaid apron within said casing, holding members movably arranged Withinsaid casing for retaining said sections upon said belts and adapted tobe actuated by a movement of said feed rollers, and means including amotor adapted to operate said feed rollers and said belts.

In testimony whereof I aflix my. signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

I-IERMANN WILMS. Witnesses:

MAX H. SRoLovrrz, CHRISTINA T. HooD.

Washington, D. 0.

